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Headline: Vie for Summit’s most eligible singles

Kimberly Nicoletti

BRECKENRIDGE – At last year’s bachelor and bachelorette auction, Silverthorne resident Bob Priest wildly bid for Summit County’s most eligible women while his significant other of nine years sat next to him – and nudged him to put in a few bids for the bachelors, too.

Together, they bought five bachelors and bachelorettes. Only, they ditched the dates and used the activities, dinners and gifts that came with the single players for themselves.

The Summit County Chamber of Commerce’s first bachelor and bachelorette auction drew as many single people as it did married – or otherwise attached – couples last year. This year, event coordinator Brian Masters encourages both married and single people to vie for the 12 most eligible bachelors and bachelorettes in the county – if not for the dates themselves, for the date packages.



Most bachelors or bachelorettes carry a date package including dinner, an activity and a gift. A bidder can either buy a date, including the activities, with the county’s most eligible or ditch the date and take the goodies for a night with his or her own special someone.

For example, Bruce Mollison, of Summit Motor Sports, comes with a foot and leg massage, so if you want the body rub without the extra body, wish him a happy birthday (after all, it is his birthday that night) and send him on his way. Or, you may want to dig deeper into his brief bio (“likes to cook dinner four days a week, sleeps a little, plays a lot”) and buy him as a date.



Masters selected the county’s most wanted singles to auction themselves (or their, um, packages) off after surveying people in bars and throughout the county, asking them, “If you could date the most attractive single in town, who would it be?”

“I get the most eligible bachelors and bachelorettes in town who people actually want to date – business professionals, attractive men and women,” Masters said.

This year’s bachelorettes range from Dory Johnson – a 5-foot, 10-inch, 130-pound photographer who recently moved to the county and likes to cook, ski, bike and get into great conversations – to Desi Gilani, who describes herself as a 5-foot, 9-inch, 140-pound, double-D 23-year-old who likes cheap beer and a good time.

Bachelors include “Tut” from Ristorante Ti Amo, Mollison and Krystal 93’s Jim Williams, who raked in $550 at last year’s auction. This year, he offers two Copper Mountain lift tickets, lunch at Endo’s Adrenaline Cafe, dinner at the Blue Spruce and ski swag from Christy Sports.

But it’s the mystery bachelor and bachelorette who offer the best date packages. The bachelor provides 12 tickets to the Feb. 23 Colorado Avalanche game in the Coors luxury booth, valued at $3,000.

“The mystery package is more of a date package. We don’t expect the person to go out with (him or her),” Masters said. “It’s the biggest package out there.”

For people who want to avoid bidding on bodies, the auction offers six date packages only, which include sporting events, dinners and hotel stays in Denver.

The Diplomats, the volunteer arm of the chamber, raised $4,500 at last year’s auction, and they hope to raise $10,000 this year by offering more extensive date packages. The funds benefit daycare centers in Summit County.

Doors open for the auction at 6 p.m. Monday at the Salt Creek Saloon, and bidding begins at 7 p.m. The cover charge is $5. Black tie attire is appropriate.

Kimberly Nicoletti can be reached at (970) 668-3998 ext. 245 or by e-mail at knicoletti@summitdaily.com.

Event: Bachelor and bachelorette auction

When: Doors open at 6 p.m., auction at 7 p.m.

Where: Salt Creek Saloon, Breckenridge


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